The official hurricane season may start in the summer, but there is no better time than now to start preparing your home for the strong winds, torrential rain, storm surges and other hard weather conditions that usually accompany a major storm. From hurricane-proofing your garage door to trimming the landscape, here are a few tips to help you protect your home from a storm.

We decided to enlist an expert to help cover the basics on preparing some of the major parts of your home for a storm if left to chance. Scott Fabacher, Miami-based owner of Advanced Overhead Doors & Service, will share tips to keep yourself and your garage, windows, doors and other parts of your home safe in order to avoid or limit costly damage to your home.

The first step to staying safe during the hurricane season is storm-proofing your garage door. Since the garage door is usually the largest opening in most homes, a breach has the potential to cause severe damage to your entire home. If strong winds make their way inside the garage, the pressure inside can build up to extreme levels and blow off your entire roof. A garage door breach can also damage a home’s foundation and cause water to seep in, not to mention the loss to your car and other items stored in the garage.

A wind load rated garage door that meets your area’s requirements for hurricane resilience is one of the best ways to protect your home and your family. As an additional precaution, make sure that the mounting area and track that holds the garage door in place are secure and well fitted. You may also consider installing extra reinforcements to your existing garage door.

Some insurance companies offer discounts to homeowners who have taken steps to minimize hurricane damage to their homes. Think about talking to your insurance agent way in advance, and find out what is included in your policy.

If you don’t have hurricane shutters, you can use plywood sheets that are between 0.5 and 0.75 inches thick to cover large openings like windows or skylights during a storm.

For your doors, adding a third hinge or a deadbolt with a bolt throw of at least one inch can provide extra protection. If you have a set of double doors, because of the larger opening and length, consider adding header and footer bolts for reinforcement and extra support.

Roof

Since the roof of a house is bound to bear the brunt of any bad weather, you need to make sure your roof is in great shape before the first storm of the season.

If your budget doesn’t allow you to hire a professional roofing contractor for a roof inspection, the next best thing is to walk around your house, looking carefully for any signs of problems areas on the roof. Missing or cracked shingles, loose nails, and rust spots on the flashing are clear signs that you need to get some roof repairs done before the hurricane season.

Finally, make sure the rain gutters and downspouts are free of debris and tightly fastened to the main structure of your home.

Backyard

Make sure your yard is clear of any debris or loose objects such as trash cans, patio chairs or tables that can get picked up and tossed about by strong winds.

Objects that are too big to bring indoors can be securely tied down with rope or strong straps. Trees that are too close to your home can pose a huge threat during a storm and should be trimmed.

Of course, these steps do not guarantee that your home will make it through the next storm with zero damage. However, they will help you ensure that you spend far less time and money on repairs after the storm has passed.

Planning in advance makes the difference between having an extremely stressful time preparing for a storm or a more calm time, since you took the necessary steps in advance and mainly need to focus on the basics, like food, water and batteries.

It’s not easy to get motivated to do all of these things without a hurricane watch taking place, but if you can take a few minutes to pick one or two items and do a basic inspection to see what condition your roof, doors, windows or garage are in and call a professional for anything big you won’t regret it.

I still remember the last hurricane that hit South Florida. It was Hurricane Wilma back in 2005. It caused a lot of damage to South Florida homes, and offices. But one of my lasting memories of coping with the aftermath of Hurricane Wilma was trying to cook when there was no power after the storm. It proved to be challenging at times.

Full power was not restored in South Florida for some time after Hurricane Wilma. Indeed, the gas lines were long after Hurricane Wilma as a direct result of the sustained loss of power.

I still remember being at a friend’s house cooking in his backyard BBQ when the power was suddenly restored. I immediately jumped in my car and drove straight to the closest gas station to gas up my car. But after gassing up my car, I returned to my friend’s house to continue cooking.

My employer at the time realized that many families could not eat a decent warm meal after Hurricane Wilma due to the loss of power. So my employer had a generator brought into work that allowed a chef to cook warm meals for all of us to eat during lunch and take some warm and fresh food back to our homes.

We have been fortunate over the past several years in that South Florida has not been hit by a hurricane. But that does not mean we should lay down our guard. We should not only prepare, but reflect on the lessons learned from past storms to be better prepared for the aftermath of the next storm.

For instance, it goes without saying that any hurricane preparation plan should involve enough food and water for at least one week.

But if there is no power, how are you going to cook all that food that requires cooking?

I recall going to a friend’s house where we proceeded to cook just about all of our meat. We used his commercial styled grill. And all of the neighbors even came over to use the commercial grill to cook some meat.

You see, my friend was prepared. He had a large industrial style BBQ and enough gas to last a week. He had a freezer where the meat stayed cold long enough to permit us to cook the meat we needed before the meat went bad.

So the lesson I learned from that experience was to not only take full advantage of the outdoor grill, but to also have enough food on hand to make the food last. Here are some quick tips and recipes to use as part of your hurricane preparation plan:

Charcoal or Gas Grill – use that grill to cook your meats stored in a freezer. Before the storm hits make sure you have supplies on hand to ensure that you can properly operate your grill. If you need a propane tank, for example, make sure you have one that is full. With a grill, you can cook just about anything. Don’t forget that you can even use a grill to warm up canned products.

Hot Plate – if you don’t have a grill, then consider purchasing a gas two burner hot plate. You will generally find them in camping stores. If you purchase this product, make sure to purchase enough fuel to last for at least a week.

Generator – if you have a generator, then hook it up to an electric skillet with a cover. This will use much less energy than a range.

Be sure to keep a manual can opener, corkscrew and bottle opener on hand as well.

Are you ready for the 2014 hurricane season? If you have not already prepared, the time is now to prepare for hurricane season. While the experts are predicting a below average hurricane season, it only takes one storm to cause chaos. Remember that Hurricane Andrew was the first named storm of the 1992 hurricane season. And if you were around in Miami in 1992, well then you just don’t need any reminding of the damage a hurricane can cause. On the other end spectrum, we are reminded that even late in the year storms can cause extensive damage. Hurricane Wilma in 2005 caused extensive damage right here in South Florida.

Advanced preparation is critical because right before a storm hits, supermarkets and home improvement stores are jam-packed with last minute shoppers.

Waiting until the last minute on important supplies is especially dangerous because items fly off the shelves and you risk being left without necessary supplies. It also important to stock enough supplies to last you through a storm and beyond.

The National Hurricane Center recommends including these items in your hurricane survival kit:

The 2013 hurricane season went down in the record books as one of the tamest on record. Recall that 2013 was supposed to be a very busy season especially in light of the fact that 2012, 2011 and 2010 produced at least 19 named storms each season. Yet 2013 only produced only two hurricanes.

If the predictions hold, then 2014 promises to be just as uneventful as 2013. The experts predict 2014 to be comprised of 9 named storms, three hurricanes and one major hurricane.

Are You Financially Prepared for Hurricane Season? Here in South Florida we all know the devastation of hurricanes and the destruction they can cause. One of the most expensive things you could lose during a hurricane would be your home. For this reason it is extremely important for homeowners to be prepared financially for hurricane season. It is often the case that many Floridians are not prepared to protect their home or their finances during hurricane season.

The most important thing to do going into hurricane season is making sure that you have hurricane coverage. Check all your insurance policies and if you can not locate your policy don’t hesitate to call your insurer and ask these pressing questions regarding your home. This goes along with making sure you have all sufficient documents needed in the case of a hurricane.

However, hurricane season has already started. So now is the time to take a look at your property insurer to determine whether your insurer is in good financial health. In the event of major storm, you don’t want to be stuck with an insurance company that is going broke as it will negatively impact your claim. Worse, it could leave you in a position where you will be unable to fully recover money for repairs that you are entitled to receive despite the fact that you paid your premiums.

Next you must insure that you have adequate proof of damage. Make sure that you take pictures or videos of the damage immediately after assessing it. Also if any conditions worsen make sure to document them so that your insured will cover all your damages.

So remember heading into hurricane season you must double check your policies to make sure you are fully covered for hurricanes. Once you have done that make sure you have all proper documentation needed to make a claim. And lastly in the event of a hurricane make sure to document all of your damage. These tips should help you to protect your home and your money in the case of a disaster.

It is vital for every business owner or professional to have a disaster plan in place that includes knowing how to assess damage, understanding how to properly file an insurance claim, and make the required repairs to get back to work as quickly as possible. Taking the wrong approach, or simply mishandling your potential insurance claim, could cost you a lot of money with respect to any claim that may ultimately be submitted to your insurance company.

In an effort to aid your hurricane season preparation, here are some suggestions that could assist you during this upcoming hurricane season’s adequately prepare.

â€¢ Make sure to copy and safely store your pertinent documents. For instance, make sure you have a copy of your property and casualty, as well as a copy of your business interruption insurance policy, and a copy of your lease agreement. You should maintain hard copies of these important documents in the event of a long-term power outage, but you should also store these documents digitally and off-site in a secure electronic environment. You should also safely store these documents in a manner that will allow you to gain very quick access to them in the event of a catastrophe.

â€¢ You should also safely make the appropriate arrangements to have copies of your last four years of income tax returns, and the last six months of your profit and loss statements safely secured. You’ll need the financial data in the event that you have to make a business interruption claim, and you will need physical copies of these documents should you not be able to gain access to them electronically.

â€¢ Keep an updated account of your inventory, and print that out as well. Be sure to inventory all of your office supplies such as computers, desk, chairs and paper since you can recover those losses. You should photograph all of these items as well.

â€¢ If you rent space, then it is imperative that you keep a copy of your lease agreement in a safe place along with all of the aforementioned other documents.

â€¢ Make sure to take photographs and/or video of your entire workspace, including your inventory and office supplies.

â€¢ Make sure to collect emergency contact information for all of your employees, suppliers, and vendors.

â€¢ Work with your senior staff to prepare a plan for a storm, fire, flood or other emergency. What are the contingencies that will allow you to get back to work quickly, and what are the variables that will prompt a long term shut down. Who will be in charge of getting your network back up? Who will be in charge of contacting your major clients? Who will be in charge of handling your insurance claim? Assigning these responsibilities in a calm environment prior to a storm striking will only aid the smooth transition to get back to work after a storm strikes South Florida.

â€¢ If you own the property, hire a licensed inspector or contractor to examine the roof, interior and other structural components in advance to the store. You do not want the insurance company to deny your claim by saying that your property had pre-existing damage. The best way to combat that argument is to conduct the appropriate inspection today.

â€¢ Prepare a list of preferred contractors that you can call on for all necessary repairs. Don’t wait for the insurance company to find someone. If the storm was a catastrophe, then that aid will be difficult to come by. Indeed, it will be incumbent upon you to repair your damages, and the best way to do that is to contact a contractor today and make arrangements to insure prompt repairs after a storm strikes out Florida.

â€¢ Communication is vital to any recovery. Make sure you have a plan for proper communication and one should anticipate disruptions in communications services, possibly for extended periods of time.
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EXTENDED BODY:Consider Your Options. Call Us Today.

With Memorial Day right around the corner, many are making plans for the holiday. Some may be going on vacation and some may be planning a BBQ.

But once the holiday weekend is over, we must start preparing for the 2013 hurricane season, which officially starts on June 1st.

Many native South Floridians have been dealing with hurricanes since they were young children and simply brush off hurricane season without preparation. However, must we remind you of the damage caused by Hurricane Andrew or even the more recent Hurricane Wilma, the second worst hurricane in Florida history?

Advanced preparation is vital because right before a storm hits, supermarkets and home improvement stores are jam-packed with last minute shoppers. Waiting until the last minute on important supplies is especially dangerous because items fly off the shelves and you risk being left without necessary supplies. It also important to stock enough supplies to last you through a storm and beyond.

The National Hurricane Center recommends including these items in your hurricane survival kit:

According to recent reports, we should anticipate a busy hurricane season in 2013.

Higher than normal temperatures in the Atlantic, among other factors, hint at a busier than normal hurricane season. Indeed, the past three years have been fairly active as each of the past three seasons have produced 19 named storms. However, South Florida has been spared a direct hit from a major storm since Hurricane Wilma passed through South Florida in October of 2005.

Last year, Superstorm Sandy was the most memorable storm of the season causing $75 billion in damages just before the presidential election.

This year, forecasters are predicting the following:

16 total storms;
9 hurricanes;
4 major hurricanes.

Predicting this season is also less predictable than in years past. The reason being is that this year there is no El Nino or La Nina.

The official hurricane season forecast by the National Hurricane Center comes out in late May, and hurricane season starts on June 1st.

So far this year there have been four named storms, including one hurricane and three tropical storms. Any of these storms are strong enough to do significant damage. However, none of them reached South Florida.

Tropical depressions are storms with winds of up to 38 mph and are identified only by numbers; tropical storms are given names and have winds form 39 to 73 mph and hurricanes have winds above 74 mph.Storms so far in 2012 have included: -Tropical Storm Alberto: Reached speeds of 60 mph and one of the earliest named storms in recent history having formed before the official start of hurricane season.-Tropical Storm Beryl: Speeds of 70 mph. Beryl made landfall in Jacksonville Beach, Florida. It was the strongest landfall in the United States for any pre-season Atlantic tropical cyclone on record.-Hurricane Chris: The first hurricane of the season reaching strength of 75 mph.-Tropical Storm Debby: Reached speeds of 60 mph and dumped a ton of rain on Tampa and Jacksonville.

Our Miami hurricane damage lawyers urge you to take the South Florida hurricane season seriously and properly prepare for the safety of you and your family. Our staff will be available around the clock in the event of a serious storm and can assist you in filing claims or handling disputes with your insurance carrier.

Storms are named in order of the alphabet each year, except for the letters q, u, x, y, and z, which are omitted. Whenever a storm causes serious damage, like Wilma or Katrina, the name is retired and replaced.

It is vital for every business owner or professional to have a disaster plan in place that includes knowing how to assess damage, understanding how to properly file an insurance claim, and make the required repairs to get back to work as quickly as possible. Taking the wrong approach, or simply mishandling your potential insurance claim, could cost you a lot of money with respect to any claim that may ultimately be submitted to your insurance company.

In an effort to aid your hurricane season preparation, here are some suggestions that could assist you during this upcoming hurricane season’s adequately prepare.

â€¢ Make sure to copy and safely store your pertinent documents. For instance, make sure you have a copy of your property and casualty, as well as a copy of your business interruption insurance policy, and a copy of your lease agreement. You should maintain hard copies of these important documents in the event of a long-term power outage, but you should also store these documents digitally and off-site in a secure electronic environment. You should also safely store these documents in a manner that will allow you to gain very quick access to them in the event of a catastrophe.

â€¢ You should also safely make the appropriate arrangements to have copies of your last four years of income tax returns, and the last six months of your profit and loss statements safely secured. You’ll need the financial data in the event that you have to make a business interruption claim, and you will need physical copies of these documents should you not be able to gain access to them electronically.

â€¢ Keep an updated account of your inventory, and print that out as well. Be sure to inventory all of your office supplies such as computers, desk, chairs and paper since you can recover those losses. You should photograph all of these items as well.

â€¢ If you rent space, then it is imperative that you keep a copy of your lease agreement in a safe place along with all of the aforementioned other documents.

â€¢ Make sure to take photographs and/or video of your entire workspace, including your inventory and office supplies.

â€¢ Make sure to collect emergency contact information for all of your employees, suppliers, and vendors.

â€¢ Work with your senior staff to prepare a plan for a storm, fire, flood or other emergency. What are the contingencies that will allow you to get back to work quickly, and what are the variables that will prompt a long term shut down. Who will be in charge of getting your network back up? Who will be in charge of contacting your major clients? Who will be in charge of handling your insurance claim? Assigning these responsibilities in a calm environment prior to a storm striking will only aid the smooth transition to get back to work after a storm strikes South Florida.

â€¢ If you own the property, hire a licensed inspector or contractor to examine the roof, interior and other structural components in advance to the store. You do not want the insurance company to deny your claim by saying that your property had pre-existing damage. The best way to combat that argument is to conduct the appropriate inspection today.

â€¢ Prepare a list of preferred contractors that you can call on for all necessary repairs. Don’t wait for the insurance company to find someone. If the storm was a catastrophe, then that aid will be difficult to come by. Indeed, it will be incumbent upon you to repair your damages, and the best way to do that is to contact a contractor today and make arrangements to insure prompt repairs after a storm strikes out Florida.

â€¢ Communication is vital to any recovery. Make sure you have a plan for proper communication and one should anticipate disruptions in communications services, possibly for extended periods of time.
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EXTENDED BODY:Consider Your Options. Call Us Today.